Apparatus for removing slabs from heating furnaces



N 2 1953 H. DEMMON ET AL APPARATUS FOR' REMOVING SLABS FROM HEJATING FURNACES 2 sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 26, 1951 [men/ama Hmm/[Y Dawa/v m i A M/v & E. HOUK, lyo 64,&

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Patented Nov. 24, 1953 APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SLABS FROM HEATING FURNACES Harvey Demmon and Mansel E. Houk, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 26, 1951, Serial No. %3,254

3 Claims.

skids which extend from their entry to their exit ends and in normal operation of the furnace support a row of slabs along their entire length in abutting relation. The cold slabs are charged to the entry end by a pusher which advances the entire row of slabs along the skids and discharges the last slab from the exit end to a hot mill run-out table. Thus the furnace is kept filled with slabs in various heating stages. When it is necessary to shut down such a furnace, the usual practice is to charge dummy or defective slabs in like manner until all the prime slabs are pushed through. Then the furnace is cooled with the dummy slabs remaining on the skids. If it is necessary to remove them to make repairs to the furnace, they are dragged out with a cable or chain. This practice is both time consuming and requires having available a large number of dummy slabs, which take considerable space.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved slab removing apparatus which itself is readily removable from a heating furnace and occupies a minimum of space in storage.

A more specific object is to provide an improved slab removing apparatus which includes a plurality of frame sections adapted to be coupled together end to end and to extend between the pusher and the rearmost slab in a furnace for advancing a row of slabs, and a coupler adapted to attach said sections to the pusher for removing them from the exit end of the furnace.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, we have provided improved details of structure, a single form of .which is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a slab heating furnace from which slabs are being removed by use of the apparatus of the present invention, the furnace roof being broken away;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line II-II of Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 4 are top plan and side elevational views respectively on a larger scale of one of the frame sections of the apparatus;

Figures 5 and 6 are side and end elevational views respectively on a still larger scale of one of the connectors for coupling the frame sections;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view on a larger scale than Figures 3 and 4 showing a detail of the preferred construction of frame section; and

Figures 8 and 9 are top plan and side elevational views of the coupler used to connect the frame sections to the pusher.

Figur-es 1 and 2 show somewhat schematically a slab heating furnace which comprises refractory side walls I!) and elongated horizontal alloy steel skids z. A charging table |3 and a pusher i 4 are Situated at the entry end (the left as viewed in Figure 1) and a hot mill run-out table l6 at the exit end. In normal operation cold slabs S are introduced to the charging table !3 by handling mechanism, not shown. The pusher M then pushes such slabs one by one into the furnace where they are supported on skids |2. As the pusher moves each cold slab into the furnace, it advances the entire row of slabs and thus pushes the last slab, which has become fully heated, through the furnace exit to the run-out table !6. Inasmuch as such furnaces and pushers are well known, no mor detailed description is deemed necessary.

The resent invention provides a plurality of frame sections l'l which are adapted to be coupled together end to end and to extend between 'the pusher M and the rearmost slab S for advancing the row of slabs without th necessity for charging additional slabs when it is desired to empty the furnace. A sufficient number of such sections are used to extend the full length of the skids and. thus to enable the rearmost slab to be expelled from the furnace. ll is pushed into the furnace, the pusher is retracted so that the next section can be coupled to the row of sections already in the furnace.

Figures 3, 4 and 7 show details of a preferred construction of frame section. Each frame section includes structural members, such as pipes, welded together to form longitudinal members I 8 and cross braces IS. Angle irons 20, which face upwardly and inwardly, are welded to the ends of said longitudinal members and braces. Each angle iron carries a pair of lifting lugs 2l adapted to be engaged by handlng mechanism. as indicated in Figure 4. The angle irons are canted slightly with respect to the longitudinal members, so that they have only line contact with the skids when the section is within a furnace. This small contact cuts down heat transfer to the sections and thus prolongs their useful life. The cant is obtained by inserting small spacers 22 between the angle irons and the longitudinal members, as illustrated in Figure '7.

Connectors 23 are used for coupling the frame sections together. As shown in Fgures 5 and 6, each of said. connectors has a notch 24 in its un- After each section derside adapted to receive the upright flanges of two angle irons 20 of a pair of abutting frame sections l 1. The top of each Connector pret-e erably carries a lifting lug 25. Commoniy two such connectors are used for coupling each a-butting pair of frame sections.

.Figures'BzandQ show details ofia'. preferredcopler ZE'or -tta'chingthe frame sections fl'to the pusher l4 for removing them from the furnace. This coupler includes a pair of spaced apart bars 21 joined by aicross pieee28. .-sad bars have notched connectors 29 at their-:forward ends adapted to engage over theangle iron, 20 of the rearmost frame sectionflsandhookmort'ions 30 at their rear ends'aa'pted'torengage the pusher !4. Preferably the upper face f each bar 21 carries a. lifting lug al.

In operation, when it is desired to .empty .the furnace, the pusher !his used to push`a`frame section H into the entry end of the urnace a'ginstthe"rowbf slbs S in the same'wavthat coldslabs" normlly i are *intro'duced When `the .first section is fully=advaneed, the'pusher 'isretracted and a secor'd secti'on M is coupledto the *first s suh section by *a pair of connectors '2 3. The two'sectons thus"coupled then' a-re advanced n' 'the same' fashion'as' the'first. This'procedure is- Uontinue'd until ll the-'slbsare expled from the'- exit end-fthe furnace. Next the'coupler' z is usd to' attach the rearmost -section 1 to' the *peshen 'I'he 'puher is 'operated to'withdraw'the -whole assemblage of iframe-sections toward the exit end' a. distance: o'f one section length; after which the rearmo'st sectionjs uncouple'd-:by 'remeval of connectorszs and removed. 'proc'edure is continued until 7 an-the: frame sections aa o r'emoved.

From 'the :foreging descriptiont'its seenrthat Kthe cpresentrinventoniurnihes a n: apparatus of :simple :constrution: for expeditiously 2: removing slabs from heating furnaces. The apparatus it- ::self issubsequently i is :rea'dfly removed :from I the turnace. The small contact between the frame setions* :and -the 'furnace skds :teffectively` *protects *the -sections against overheating, and the sections regr'-ire'but little storage space.

While we have shown and described only a. single embodiment of the inventon, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Thereore, we do not wish to be limited to the disclosure 5 set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

#Wawlaim:

'1. A frame section "for pushing slbs from a heating furnace comprising longitudinal mem- '1^0bers and cross braces welded together, upwardly eandinwardly'facing angle irons welded to the aendsfzof said longitudinal members, and spacers interposed betweensaid angle irons and said longitudinal'mebers'canting said angle irons so %httheyhaveorly line contact with a support- "ing surface.

EZ cAn apparatusfor removing slabs from a heatingurnace comprising a plurality of frame 'sectionsadapted to be pushed into a furnace in end to end abutting relation against the rearmost slab, each of 'said frame sections 'being `'formed f longitudinl members an dcross braces welded together and angle iron end pieces weldd 'to isaid longtudinal members 'and fai/::ing upi wardiy uan d inwardly, ccnnectorsmaving down- References 'Cited in the ;file .ofcths patent UNITED :STATESl :PATENTS Number "Name ?Date 135 463 "Demerell `Jan."1"9, 1926 

